PM Modi raises concerns on UK’s new visa policy with British PM Theresa May

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 5 August told Theresa May, the British Premier, that UK’s new visa policy could adversely impact short-term business visits of Indian professionals’ to their country.

He conveyed this to her on the sidelines of the G20 summit, which is taking place in Hangzhou, China. Vikas Swarup, the external affairs ministry spokesman, was quoted by the Press Trust India as saying that the Indian PM expressed concerns over new regulations put in place by the UK and said that they could adversely impact working professionals of India who want to visit Britain on short-term business trips.

The new visa policy requires that non-EU workers would need to have an income of minimum £35,000 to stay back in the UK for more than six years or should be working in a doctoral level occupation or be employed in a job which is on the British Shortage Occupation List, which includes nurses. The ceiling was raised from the earlier minimum salary requirement of about £21,000 per year on the MAC’s (Migration Advisory Committee) advice.

Swarup added that Modi had invited the UK firms to ‘Make in India’, with both leaders looking forward to a visit by defence minister Manohar Parrikar soon to the UK. On her part, May stated that she was positive on supporting Modi’s vision for India and the wider strategic collaborations including the decisions that were taken during his visit to the UK in November 2015. May focused on the importance that her country gives to the Indian diaspora. This was the first tête-à-tête between the two leaders since May became the British Prime Minister after David Cameron quit following the UK’s vote to leave the European Union. According to Swarup, that May had deputed three ministers to India – Alok Sharma, Greg Clarke and Preeti Patel — showed the importance that India was being accorded by her. He concluded by saying that the Indian Prime Minister had stated that Britain remains as important to India as it was prior to Brexit.

If you want to travel to the UK, approach Y-Axis to get the best possible guidance and assistance to file for a visa at one of our 19 offices located in all major Indian cities.